Sea of thy Soul
by Kinaki747
Summary: Adrift in a world so like her own, yet sporting as many differences, Aegis finds herself crossing paths with the supernatural elements residing in this brave new world. Even now she can't escape from crossing fate.
1. An android in a strange land

**I was inspired by the other stories in this crossover category and thought I would try my hand at it.**

**Sea of thy Soul**

It had already been a few months since the incident. A few months since Aegis had found herself in this new world. Disoriented when she came to, she had found herself alone in a forest a little way off from a town called Bar Harbor in Maine. How she ended up in the United States was anyone's guess. After searching the surrounding area for an hour for any traces of her friends and found nothing, Aegis had decided her best course of action at the moment was to find some clothes to disguise herself, find a temporary place of residence, and collect intel on this place. The more you know the better prepared you will be for anything that comes your way. She only had Minato's Evoker and MP3 player headphones in her possession. Thankfully, it was nighttime when she first arrived, otherwise people would have been making a scene about an actual android showing up out of the blue from who knows where. For all she knew, people would have accused her of being a Terminator sent from the future to destroy mankind's last hope for survival. Not that she had anything against the movie, if anything it was rather enjoyable while it lasted. People's minds truly came up with the strangest things when trying to rationalize the unknown.

Upon arrival, Aegis had immediately started searching for a clothing store, and when she did, she disabled the security systems and cameras to prevent anyone from uncovering her identity. She obtained a simple long-sleeved yellow shirt, blue jeans, red scarf, blue sunglasses, white hoodie, and a simple pair of gloves to hide her mechanical appearance. In addition she also grabbed a few spare sets of clothes and footwear in case she needed to change disguises. Before leaving, Aegis left behind an I.O.U. for the stolen apparel promising to pay back what she stole. She wasn't afraid of the police searching the document for fingerprints or D.N.A. because she didn't have any to speak of. Being an android had it's benefits sometimes. Afterwards, she scoured the town before taking up temporary residence in an abandoned building. It had taken around two weeks for Aegis to process and come to terms with her current predicament before resigning herself to making the most of this new life. She hadn't given up on her old world, but there were currently no known means to check to see what had happened to the Earth she had called home.

Following that, she tidied up her living space and began collecting intel on her new home. What she had discovered deeply unsettled her. In her old world, gods, goddesses, and other mythological creatures were confined to myths and legends. They were born in the Sea of humanity's Souls, the Collective Unconscious. In this new alternate Earth, the Gods, Goddesses, and mythological creatures were all alive and well. No longer were they just a way for people of the past to rationalize how the world worked, now they existed as actual flesh and ichor beings who have lived for countless millennia.

Her first encounter with this world's supernatural elements proved to be very enlightening. It started out as just another average day in Bar Harbor when her internal sensors detected some strange readings emanating from Agamont Park. Curious as to what they were (Aegis had never seen readings like this before. The closest comparison she could give were demons) she entered the park and scanned for the life forms. Just hidden from view in a grove of trees, a small group of Laistrygonian Giants eyed their prey while waiting for the moment to strike. Thanks to the Mist, they appeared to most mortals as a group of hoodlums. Said prey were two kids, a boy and girl who appeared to be siblings if the way they were interacting was any indication. They had been stalking their prey for the past hour, and they were so focused on them they never noticed a pair of blue eyes looking their way, narrowing as she took notice of where their attention was directed to. The Giants noticed a blonde-haired human walking up to the kids and striking up a conversation. Blondie didn't register as anyone important to the Laistrygonians and they just dismissed her as nobody of consequence. She left a few minutes later and the Giants resumed their watch on the two demigods. Their smell identified them as such, of that there was no mistake. Soon enough the two siblings left the park and the Giants stalked them at a respectable distance where they wouldn't get noticed. Strangely, the two demigods seemed to notice when the Laistrygonians sped up their walking and proceeded to speed up their walking as well, resulting in a constant distance between the two groups. Getting slightly frustrated, the lead Laistrygonian, Flesh Muncher, ordered some of the group to double back and cut off any avenues their prey might take. The sun was starting to go down and they were getting hungry.

Bianca Di Angelo was trying to keep a calm facade to mask to panic and uneasiness she was feeling inside. Today had been going so well too. That all ended when a blonde-haired teen came up to talk to them. She seemed pleasant enough and their conversation was going well… right on up until she asked them if they knew they were being stalked by a bunch of hoodlums hiding in a grove of trees about thirty yards behind them. Bianca looked at her dumbstruck before attempting to look behind her. Fortunately, the girl who was weirdly named Aegis - seriously who named their kid that - stopped her before she alerted the hoodlums that they were on to them. Aegis had suggested taking care of the hoodlums for them. When Bianca asked how she planned on doing that, Aegis simply replied that she knew some people. Her nonchalant way of saying that slightly scared Bianca because it sounded like something out of The Godfather. She soon left them but promised that she and her brother wouldn't be harmed in the slightest. Deciding to put her faith and trust in Aegis, Bianca helped Nico pack up his Mythomagic game and they soon left the park, aiming to lead their stalkers away from any crowds. If a fight broke out now a lot of people could end up hurt. Aegis had described the stalkers as the type who didn't care who was hurt so long as they got their target. By leading them away from any populated areas, they could potentially decrease the casualties to only the hoodlums. The sun was starting to set and most people were going home for the night. Aware of stalkers on their tail, Bianca and Nico sped up their pace whenever they heard the footsteps behind them speed up. It could have been the adrenaline, but both siblings found it easy to single out the footsteps of the stalkers.

For a while the Di Angelos maintained the distance between them, but something soon change that. Before they realized it, Bianca and Nico were cut off by the Laistrygonians that had split from the main group earlier. Seeing the sinister leers on their eight-foot-tall faces, Bianca and Nico desperately looked for any sort of escape route. Quickly spotting an alleyway to their left, the two kids sprinted into it and tried losing their pursuers by fleeing towards the Acadia National Park. Darkness had already fallen and the Moon was reaching its zenith. Zigzagging through the town, the Di Angelos made it to the National Park, but they could not afford to rest for the giants were still on their tail. It didn't seem to occur to Bianca that the Laistrygonians were actual monsters, all she saw were a group of extremely tall men out to get she and her brother. If worse came to worst, she would sacrifice herself so her brother could live.

Flesh Muncher was growing more and more excited. The demigods were starting to tire, and soon he and his friends would feast. The scent wafting off the demigods was tantalizing and whetted the appetite. Escaping into the woods was only delaying the inevitable. So long as they had their scent, there was no escaping them. The overpowering scent of the two demigods ensured that. Their prey started to slow down from fatigue, and every second brought Flesh Muncher and his cohorts closer to their next meal. Bone breaker was the first of the group to catch up and just as he was about to take a swipe at the boy, a shot rang out in the darkness silencing all activity.

"Step away from the children if you want to live," a gruff-sounding voice ordered. All eyes turned towards the voice. A figure clad in a red poncho, military pants and boots stood atop a boulder meters away.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Flesh Muncher questioned, narrowing his eyes at the interloper. Off to the side Bianca and Nico took a moment to breathe before looking to their savior. The poncho's hood obscured the figure's face. Add in the moonlight in the background and you get a pretty striking showdown scene. A lone figure facing down five freakishly tall men at night to save two frightened children from whatever gruesome fate the men had in store for them. If Nico had to describe the scene, he would equate it to a superhero arriving at the last moment to save the citizens from the nefarious bad guys. The scene just exuded that kind of presence.

Under the hood, Aegis stared down the Laistrygonians piercing through them with her cold blank stare. A tactical vest was hidden underneath the poncho just in case and Aegis had assessed the threat level of her adversaries. To conceal her identity, Aegis used voice recordings stored in her memory to mimic other people. By analysing and processing the different vibrations people's voices took, Aegis was able to perfectly mimic any person whose voice she heard at least once. The same could be said for other creatures. In this situation, Aegis was using one Shinjiro Aragaki's voice to obscure her identity.

"There would be no point in introducing oneself to those who are soon to be dealt with, is there?"

Ignoring the reactions of the Laistrygonians to her statement, she turned to address the Di Angelo siblings. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah… Are you a friend of Aegis?" Bianca hesitantly asked.

"That is correct. I'm here to make sure nothing happens to you two." Both siblings quickly made their way over to the mysterious figure. One of the Giants made to stop them before another shot rang out stopping him in his tracks. The mysterious stranger had one arm raised, smoke rising from the sleeve. "I wouldn't try that if I were you."

"Now I will give you one final warning. Leave this place and never return."

"And if we choose not to?" An annoyed and hungry look appeared in Flesh Muncher's eyes.

"Then you have chosen this fate of your own free will and will suffer the consequences."

A vicious smile appeared on his face. "Bone Breaker, show Mr. Hero what we think of his warning and suggestion."

"With pleasure. I've been waiting for this. Time to show this ant the pecking order." Knuckles cracking, Bone Breaker dashed forward to smash the stranger to pieces. Aegis leapt forward to meet him in battle. Bone Breaker threw a heavy right punch at her intending to take her head in one blow. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was not one to be taken lightly. Slightly leaning backward and to the right, Aegis avoided the blow before counterattacking. Planting her feet on the ground, she grabbed the outstretched arm with both hands, leaned into Bone Breaker's guard with her back facing him and threw him over her shoulder into the ground with all the force she could muster. Bone Breaker's bones broke from the impact. Flesh Muncher, the other Laistrygonians, and Bianca all stared in shock at the feat. On the other hand, Nico was looking like he had seen the most awesome thing imaginable.

"Didja see that, Bianca? He just beat him like it was nothing. That is so cool!"

The cloaked figure then turned towards the remaining four, a cold and apathetic look appearing in his blue eyes. "Who is next?"

Trying to brush it off as a fluke, an agitated Flesh Muncher roared before charging Aegis with his compatriots. What followed could only be described as a curb-stomp battle. Bobbing and weaving, sidestepping, a couple graceful flips here and there, Aegis dodged every single attack thrown her way all while making it look easy. She was even able to cause her attackers to attack each other thanks to some clever positioning. On the sidelines, Bianca and Nico could only watch in awe (and in Nico's case, excitement) at the massacre happening in front of them. Deciding to bring this to an end, Aegis went on the offensive. A minute later, all Laistrygonians were down for the count, a multitude of broken bones and bruises preventing them from even moving.

The mysterious savior turned to the Di Angelos. "Are you two alright?"

Bianca could only nod in response her mind still processing the events of the past hour. Nico's response was more vocal. "That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life! You just beat them like it was nothing! They were like, "'Who the heck are you?"' And you were like, "' There is no point in introducing myself to people like you"' And they were like, "'Screw you."' And then you just annihilated them. Who are you? Are you a superhero!?" Nico's eyes shined with pure excitement and joy one could mistake him for a hyperactive puppy.

Aegis stifled a laugh at that. Nico was like a breath of fresh air in this world.

"No, i'm no superhero. I'm just a person who doesn't like bullies or others who prey on the weak. Come on now, let's get you two on home."

"What about those guys?" Bianca looked over towards the unconscious Giants. "Also, who exactly are you anyway? We never got your name."

"You can call me Shin. I'm an old friend of Aegis. As for them, they won't be bothering anyone anytime soon."

"Your not playing on murdering them, are you?" Bianca remembered the gunshots ringing out earlier and deduced Shin having a concealed firearm on his person.

"Do you have any objections to this course of action?" Shin tilted his head towards her not denying the claim.

"Don't you think that is a bit too much? Wouldn't it be better to call the police and have them deal with the stalkers? I honestly think you are a kind person at heart Shin. You just give off that sort of air, and I won't have someone like you getting your hands dirty on my account."

Aegis looked at Bianca. "You really have that much of an opinion of me?"

Bianca nodded.

Aegis let a smile grace her face underneath the hood. "Thank you, truly. If it means that much to you, I Shin promise to not murder a single human so long as I live."

"That's all that I ask. Thank you Shin, for all that you have done" Bianca gave a grateful smile.

"I really should be getting you two home. It is not safe at night, you never know what might happen."

"Right, let's go."

Once Aegis had seen the Di Angelos safely home, she went back to the still immobile Laistrygonian Giants. By now all of them had woken up, but even now their broken bones still prevented them from moving. When she appeared on the scene, all of them glared daggers at her, wanting nothing more than to break her.

"You have no idea who you just messed with little man. Once we are able to move again, you will regret crossing us," Bone Breaker snarled. "It won't matter how long we stay in jail, sooner or later we will be set free, and when we do, the first thing we are going to do is come for you, and you can bet what happens next won't be pretty," Flesh Muncher added.

Aegis didn't even bother responding. So long as she concealed her identity, the Laistrygonians would forever be chasing a ghost. On the other hand, she still had questions that needed answers, and these soon to be dead monsters could help her in that regard. Since first laying eyes on them, Aegis could tell these were no humans. Her dealings with the Dark Hour and events involved with it (as well as her origins) prepared her for stuff like this. With that in mind, Aegis started down a road that would forever change the supernatural world.

Going back to the present, Aegis had since become close friends to the Di Angelo siblings and enrolled in the same school as them: Westover Hall. It was peaceful for awhile if you didn't mind the occasional attempted monster attacks. I say attempted because Aegis would always be able to obliterate the hostile entities out of sight before they ever knew what hit them. And with each encounter brought forth more knowledge which she could use to gain more insight to her new home. Since the monsters coming after the siblings were all connected to Greco-Roman mythology, Aegis thought it prudent to read up on any sort of myths she could find. If Greco-Roman entities were real, what else was real which was dismissed as myth and fiction? Through interrogating incapacitated monsters and her own research, Aegis learned about the Mist, demigods, the Greco-Roman pantheon and their differing personalities, and the Empire State Building being the current location of Olympus.

Normally, Aegis would be able to learn a lot more from her Personas, but for some reason there was a block on her mind preventing her from calling them. Not like she couldn't handle some monsters, but it was more reassuring to have backup and someone to talk too. Bianca and Nico were great friends, but that still didn't detract from the fact that she couldn't talk to them about her troubles of being in a foreign world, isolated and utterly alone from her friends (whom she considered family) and the comfort and security her Personas emanated. Oftentimes her mind wandered back to the day she was ripped away from her friends and sister. The day Erebus appeared…

A knocking sound snapped her out of her thoughts. Opening the door, Aegis greeted Bianca and Nico. Westover Hall was having a school dance today and the three of them decided to go together. Today was a brand new day, what could possibly go wrong?


	2. The chihuahua tore up the hallway

**Sorry for the long wait, but at least better late then never, eh? Truth be told my family and I were on a cruise in the Mediterranean from September 28 to October 14. Before that I was in a slump and hit writer's block partially because this story was a spur of the moment kind of thing, but I have an idea of where I want to take this story. For the time between October til now, I may have developed an unhealthy addiction to Fate Grand Order and Fire Emblem Heroes. Add in Code Vein and God Eater 3 and before you know it months have passed. On the flip side, at least i'm expanding my range of knowledge if I ever decide to write different fanfiction for different franchises. Anyways hope you guys enjoy and leave any thoughts in the reviews. I would really appreciate it if you guys could point out any areas I could improve in. Still a novice writer, but I am aiming to improve my writing while having fun and unleashing my imagination. Hope you readers enjoy. :)**

Sea of Thy Soul Ch. 2

Looking back, Bianca could say with absolute certainty that meeting Aegis was a godsend. Ever since coming into their lives, Bianca found more time for herself. Whenever Aegis came over to visit she usually ended up watching over Nico and playing Mythomagic with him while Bianca was finally able to have a life separate from her brother for a little bit. In truth, a small part of Bianca was resentful of having to take care of Nico for most of their lives. Before Aegis, Bianca spent her whole life looking after Nico and wasn't able to live her own life. Don't get her wrong, she loved Nico with all of her heart, but every now and then she found herself fantasizing what her life would be like if she was able to make her own choices and follow her own dreams. The Di Angelo siblings' lives improved dramatically with Aegis in the picture and soon both siblings began to see Aegis as an older sister or guardian angel. Bianca even stopped with her resentment towards her brother. Talking with Aegis revealed she was of Japanese and Grecian descent, which explained her name and use of Japanese honorifics. When they eventually learned that Aegis was living in an abandoned building, both of them insisted on her enrolling at Westover Hall so she wouldn't need to walk so far to visit them with the additional bonus of receiving an education at a military academy as well as a place to room. After considering her current predicament Aegis agreed to the proposal and started her new life at Westover Hall with the Di Angelo siblings. In the following months, Aegis quickly excelled as a model student. She proved to be an attentive listener, took notes on the different classes she attended, studied whenever she had free time and in between classes, aced all tests and exams, passed her physicals with flying colors, and proved herself to be a capable field leader. Over time life at Westover soon settled into a peaceful and predictable routine for the three.

One day during a break between classes, Bianca and Nico asked Aegis about her friend Shin. Since the day he saved them from those unusually large brutes, the siblings hadn't seen hide nor hair of him and their curiosity finally reached its peak.

"So Aegis, do you know what happened to your friend Shin? We haven't seen him around since he saved us from those brutes. It's like he completely vanished without a trace," Bianca said.

"Yeah, we wanted to thank him again for what he did and possibly get to know him better. I know we only met him that one time, but I can tell he is a good and sincere person. Why else would he risk his life for complete strangers?" Nico said excitement lighting up his eyes at the thought of getting to know Shin.

"You really look up to him, don't you?" Aegis replied a nostalgic smile on her face as she recalled memories from her past regarding Shinjiro.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I admire someone like him. Shin is a complete badass! I mean did you see what he was like when facing off against those thugs Bianca! He totally owned them like it was nothing! He is and forever will be an absolute badass!" By now Nico was gushing about his admiration of Shin and rambling on while both girls just smiled at his enthusiasm.

"So Aegis, do you know where he is?" Bianca asked bringing the conversation back on track.

The only response they got from Aegis was the melancholy look in her eyes and sad smile dissipating the happy, jubilant mood prevalent in the air just minutes ago.

"I'm sorry to say, but it might be for the best if you don't see Shin-san or try to seek him out. In fact, I implore you not to so, if only for your own good. It will only make you depressed and bring pain to you." Aware of the incredulous stares thrown her way Aegis continued with her explanation. "Do not get me wrong, Shin-san is an incredible person in his own right, but he is not long for this world."

"W-what are you saying Aegis?" Bianca and Nico felt a pit forming in their stomachs at her words. Around them the world seemed to go silent, the noises of the town becoming naught but white noise to their ears.

"I am informing you that by year's end Shin is going to die."

Mortified and horrified expressions were all that greeted Aegis as she stared right back with sadness and grief in her eyes. For the next few minutes nobody in the group spoke, two of them stunned into silence by the news they received, the last lamenting the loss of one of her friends among other things. Eventually the silence would be broken by the Di Angelos.

"What do you mean Shin is going to be dead by the end of this year!?"

"Why? How?"

Y-you're kidding right!? You just have to be! This… This is some sort of sick joke, right!?

Both siblings looked in denial at the moment, but as they kept eye contact with Aegis the truth steadily came through. Her azure eyes dimmed a degree until it appeared empty of emotion, her face set into one of sorrow, the very air around her radiating unhappiness and sad acceptance. With these in front of them, Bianca and Nico were forced to accept the cold reality of the situation and their distress faded bit by bit as it was replaced by a quiet sadness. A silence spread over the group. There was only one question burning at the forefront of their minds, and only one question that could really be asked at that moment.

"How is Shin dying? That is the question you were going to ask is it not." The looks in their eyes revealed the answer. "Shin-san has a terminal illness rendering his body unable to regulate body temperature hence his heavy clothing." Ironically, if that wasn't enough, the medicine Shin used to take to suppress his Persona in the first place was what caused his terminal condition in the first place, though the Di Angelos didn't need to know about that anyway. '_What would be the odds about them finding out about my existence anyways?' _Aegis pondered before continuing. "Even so, Shin-san has made his peace with his life and has dedicated the rest of it to living the remainder of it to the best of his abilities no matter how hard and painful it may be. That is his resolve to the future."

Still a bit uncomfortable talking about such a sensitive topic with Aegis, who had to be feeling worse considering this was a (seemingly?) close friend of hers they were talking about, but a bit curious to learn more about the person who saved their lives and by extension Aegis, Bianca resolved herself to ask about Shin. Before she could Nico beat her to the punch.

"What kind of person is Shin? Why would he risk his life for two strangers? And how did you meet him?" Nico quietly asked, dark brown eyes staring into ones of azure.

"Let's see. I confess I didn't know him as well as some of the others, but I know him enough to count him as an irreplaceable friend. I first met him sometime in September. To outsiders, Shin-san may appear cold and aloof, but to those closest to him he is a kind and gentle soul. He adores animals, dogs in particular, but tries to hide it when others are around. A man with a passion for cooking, the dishes he serves are delicious and would not be out of place in a restaurant. One time I observed him cooking for Koro-kun, the dorm's resident dog, and he looked at peace and happy up until he found me observing him. Then for some strange reason he froze and his face started sweating. I don't understand why though, Koro-kun seemed to be praising his cooking skills. He may not show it, but he cares for people. I have heard that he saved Jun-san, Kari-san, and Minato from delinquents even though they only met once before. There are other times where he has shown his heart of gold under his gruff exterior. You could say Shin-san acts like a mother hen or team mom for our group of friends. I believe his reluctance to get close to people stems from something in his past. Ken-kun, Hiko-san, and Kiri-san are the ones who know him best. Hiko-san and he have apparently known each other since childhood. It seems they even grew up together. They first met Kiri-san sometime in middle school when she recruited them for a school club. Apparently, not long after, Shin-san parted ways with them even though they are still on good terms. As for Ken-kun, Shin-san is an older brother to him in all but blood. Even though he would deny it, Shin-san worries about his friends and enjoys helping them. You would be hard put to find someone with a heart as caring and kind as Shin-san. Not many people can attest to that." Aegis smiled remembering simpler times.

"Sounds like Shin is an incredible person. Are you sure we can't meet him before he… you know… kicks the bucket," Bianca timidly asked while averting her eyes. Death, impending or not, was never an easy thing to talk about for most people. "It must be painful knowing a close friend or loved one is going to die and there is nothing you can do to help them, but isn't that even more of a reason to see them as much as possible so that way you can still be connected on some level. As long as we remember those whose lives have passed on and engrave their memories and who they were in life on our hearts and souls then they never truly die. People only truly die when they are forgotten. I know my brother and I only met Shin that one time, but still I want to see him one more time before the end. Not only for what he did for us, but to remember him so he won't be forgotten. Talking with you about him has strengthened my resolve to see him one more time before he passes. We may be strangers to him, but to us, to us he is an irreplaceable person who shouldn't have to die alone!" Bianca's speech grew louder and more passionate as it continued, drawing some pedestrians' gazes towards them.

Both Aegis and Nico stared wide-eyed in surprise at Bianca's outburst and passionate speech. A moment or two later and Bianca's face turned red when she realized that they weren't the only ones staring. As she contemplated curling up into a ball to avoid attention, Nico's eyes lit up with motivation. "Yeah, I feel the same way. Shin really made an impression on both of us. I really want to visit him too."

Faced with two determined siblings bent on meeting a (unknown to them) dead man, Aegis was internally panicking and trying to find a solution to put this issue to rest. In truth she was touched at the care and bond the Di Angelos had developed with Shin even though Shin was her masquerading as her deceased friend Shinjiro Aragaki. Bianca's speech had also made her twinge with some emotion she could not describe at the moment. By this time all the curious pedestrians had moved on to their own business. All except one. Unknown to the three of them, a certain satyr in disguise was watching them. He had detected the scent of two powerful demigods in the area and was on the lookout for them. Thankfully, the speech a few minutes prior had singled them out for attention. The rasta cap-wearing satyr was elated to find them before any monsters could. Now all that was left was to contact Camp Half-Blood for help for extraction, keep the Half-Bloods safe, and by on the lookout for any prowling monsters. One thing did confuse him though. By all accounts, the blond-haired young woman with them sounded, appeared, and even felt human, but the smell of her didn't quite match up with that of other humans. For lack of a better word, there was something fundamentally off about her smell. Her body had a metallic scent to it, and he wasn't just talking about an arm or leg. Nope, her whole body gave off the scent and Grover wasn't sure what to make of it. How could someone smell like a machine, yet was obviously a human? But that wasn't the end of it. Not only did she smell like a machine, there was the faint scent of a god coming off her. Hardly noticeable at all it was primarily covered up by a whole slew of smells. Sure, the stronger scents coming off her were human, machine, and god, but there were also trace amounts of monster in it as well. For crying out loud, now this was just getting ridiculous and dangerous. It just didn't make any sense to the satyr. The only thing he could do right now was keep an eye on the Half-Bloods and the mystery stranger, and if need be, protect the two from the blonde if she turned out to be hostile. Grover really hoped it didn't come down to that. He wasn't really sure if he would be able to even put up a fight against her without backup. Call it animal instincts or the myriad of scents wafting off her, but one thing Grover was certain: she was not one anybody should take lightly.

Going back to the unaware group, Aegis came up with a plausible explanation on why they could not meet Shin-san. "Unfortunately, I just remembered that it is impossible to meet Shin-san at the present moment."

"Why?" Two pairs of eyes looked towards her questioningly.

"Shin-san is a drifter."

"He is?" "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Her face gave nothing away. Sometimes the Di Angelos envied Aegis for her poker face. You could never tell what she was thinking or if she was lying.

"I guess that would explain why we haven't seen him around. And why he would be so hard to find," Bianca admitted reluctantly.

"Is there any way or anyone who would be able to find him?" Nico pressed. "Does he have a cell phone?"

Aegis shook her head. "Shin-san more often than not lives off the grid. So it would not be possible to find him through calling. Shin-san appears when he wants to appear. Not matter how much his friends try to find him. It was pure coincidence that we ran into each other."

Bianca and Nico looked downtrodden at that.

"But, if I know Shin-san as well as I think I do then this might not be the last time we see him." Aegis smiled. "Anything is possible in this crazy world we live in."

"Yeah, you are right. Anything is possible."

"By the way, earlier you mentioned a couple other people when describing Shin. Are they your friends?"

"You could say that. To me they, as well as Shin-san, are an irreplaceable and precious group of people who helped me become who I am today. And for as long as I live I will never forget them."

"Who are they?"

A blissful and content smile greeted them. "SEES"

* * *

Back in the present, the Di Angelos and Aegis had met up and gone to the dance. The siblings noted Aegis decided to go with a black military coat dress, black jacket underneath, black pants, and a red tie. They would have questioned her about her choice of attire for a dance, but decided that it wasn't anything to get worked up about. Aegis was free to wear what she wanted to for today. If she wanted to wear what she was wearing then it was her decision. Before they made it to the gymnasium, the vice principal Dr. Thorn waylaid them to ask Aegis to do a simple errand for him. To the siblings, it sounded more like Dr. Thorn ordering instead of asking. For whatever reason, Aegis and Dr. Thorn never really got along with each other. She always appeared a bit on edge whenever he showed up. Like she was anticipating an attack from him or something. Likewise Dr. Thorn had it out for Aegis. It was like he intentionally made things harder for Aegis, whether it was homework or athletics. Bianca could have sworn he was trying to separate her brother and her from Aegis. Unluckily for him, Aegis was not one to be beaten so easily. She always managed to finish the task assigned with time to spare and it aggravated Dr. Thorn to no end. How else was a manticore supposed to kidnap/recruit two powerful demigods with the blonde getting in his way at every turn! But today was a new day and Dr. Thorn would not be taking any chances. Not with the surprise he had in store for the unsuspecting automaton. Today would be the last day he had to deal with the annoyance. As soon as the three adolescents dispersed, two to the gym, one to her doom, Dr. Thorn let loose a crazed laugh. Now only the satyr left to deal with. Shouldn't be too hard.

Speeding down the hallway, Aegis made to finish the "errand" Dr. Thorn assigned her. She could not afford to take too long lest Dr. Thorn make his move. The vice-principal was a monster in disguise, and he was after Bianca and Nico. Other students at Westover Hall may not have noticed, but Aegis did. Aegis' detection system registered Dr. Thorn as a threat the moment the two met. Malicious intent was present in his heterochromatic eyes and the "errands" he had Aegis do were concealed attempts to kill her. Not to Aegis of course, but to the rest of the school. Each "errand" was done away from prying eyes and Aegis tried her best to limit the damage done to the surroundings. Luckily for her and unfortunately for the vice-principal, Aegis was accustomed to dealing with supernatural entities. Fighting these monsters was no different to her than fighting Shadows. Because Dr. Thorn appeared human to the general populace and acted as vice-principal, Aegis had no means to retaliate against him. If she tried to, she would be arrested and sent to juvenile hall for who knows how long. It would be her word against his, or more specifically her actions against a distinguished member of the school board. All Aegis could do at the moment was deny him the Di Angelos and the satisfaction of killing her. So far Aegis was able to keep her cover and Dr. Thorn only thought of her as an aggravating nuisance who just would not die. She internally laughed at that. If only he knew what she was, then he would be singing a different tune. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

A giant fist barreling her way snapped Aegis out of her thoughts. Swiftly dodging out of the way, Aegis put distance between her and her assailant.

"Gahahaha! Well look here sonny, the little twit is faster than she appears." An extremely fat lady wearing a blue denim dress grinned while a chihuahua with a rhinestone collar growled at the blonde automaton.

"You should not be here." Aegis kept her focus on the lady and dog (who seemed strangely familiar to Aegis) while preparing for combat. "Are you here to kill me? There would be no other reason for creatures of your level to be here otherwise."

"Oh so you know who we are?" The fat lady quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Maybe, maybe not. One thing is for certain. You and the chihuahua are not who you appear to be. The malice rolling off you two is different compared to the others - more palpable and crushing." Aegis moved her hands to her sleeves to pull out a pair of daggers she obtained prior to her life here. At a glance, the daggers would be dismissed as nothing special. By all means, they were exceedingly ordinary and had no identity to call their own, but to people in the know they were invaluable items. Unknown to the two monsters what Aegis pulled out were Nihil Weapons. She usually left them in her arms just in case she needed to deal with a threat discreetly. Here and now, two mid-level threats appeared at the school and Aegis could not use her firearms else she bring unwanted attention her way.

"Do you honestly believe those letter openers will be able to do anything to us?" The monster gave a derisive laugh. "You have to be absolutely delusional if you think any mortal weapons will be able to harm us." She let out a cackle at what she perceived as a minor nuisance. "Honestly, I wonder why that son of mine couldn't have dealt with you himself; he's strong and clever enough to deal with someone of your ilk. Then again, I can see what has him so on edge." Her serpentine eyes narrowed. "Something about you is off, as if your very existence is making my blood boil and chill at the same time. As weird as it sounds just looking at you makes me want to rip you to shreds yet at the same time my very being is warning me that somehow you are an apex predator who I cannot underestimate under any circumstances. Okay i'm starting to see why that son of mine called sonny and I to take care of you. You can't be allowed to live." The fat lady and her chihuahua tensed as they got ready to attack.

"One moment please. Just now you said your son asked you for your help in getting rid of me, correct?"

"And what of it?"

"So far the only person who would want me dead is Dr. Thorn. I assume he is the son you speak of?"

"Well look at the brains on this one. Smart girl. Too bad it won't save you. Get her sonny!" Before her eyes, the chihuahua started growing bigger and bigger until it was the size of a bear. A lion's mane and front greeted her, followed by a dragon's backside, and ending with a ten-foot long black mamba acting as the tail. A goat's head was also attached to the monster's backside. Funny really, as it's disguise faded away Aegis could identify the monster as the Chimera from Greek mythology. Chimera roared before charging at Aegis.

"Chimera, the monster who terrorized Lycia. With help from Pegasus, the hero Bellerophon slayed the creature by shoving lead down it's throat leading to its death."

A savage tail swipe and searing heat was the response from the Chimera as Aegis' comment seemed to have pissed it off.

"Now don't forget about me little girl!" A shadow was all the warning before a heavy weight slammed down where the battle android used to be. The hallway shook from the impact as the female monster caused a patchwork of cracks to spread out from the landing zone.

"By the way, the name is Echidna, Mother of Monsters. Pleasure to meet you."

* * *

Unaware of what was happening on the other side of the school, a certain group of demigods and satyr had just entered the gym searching for the powerful demigods Grover had found.

"I really think something is up with her, something that you don't want to mess with if you value your life. That's just the feeling I get whenever she is around and let me tell you it is not pleasant… at all."

Thalia just rolled her eyes while Percy arched an eyebrow as he looked to his friend concerned. Annabeth appeared to be pondering the new information Grover had given them about this mysterious blonde foreigner who had appeared out of nowhere to seemingly protect the two half-bloods Bianca and Nico Di Angelo for the past few months.

"And you're sure about this? Could she be a half-blood and your nose was mistaken? Maybe she is just really good at hiding her scent?" Annabeth tried coming up with some explanations for Grover's conundrum.

"I'm positive Annabeth. What Aegis is… she is definitely not a half-blood, that much i'm certain about."

"Come on guys, even if that's true, we have two half-bloods of the Big Three, a daughter of Athena, and one of the best satyrs around. If it comes down to it, we can take her." Thalia reassured confidence oozing out of her. "She may be named after the protection of the gods, but I have a copy of the real thing. She won't be able to look at it without experiencing some level of fear."

"Look, how about we just put this aside for now and focus on evacuating the two half-bloods to camp where they will be safe. Or at least safer than here." Percy added his two cents into the conversation.

"Fair enough."

"Got it Percy."

"Right, sorry about that Seaweed Brain. But knowledge is power. The more you know and all that."

With that out the way, the four started their search and quickly found the Di Angelos. Unfortunately, before they could implement a plan to get closer to the two discreetly so as to not tip off Dr. Thorn, a tremor shook the entire gym causing the music to stop. Seconds later, a series of tremors started up causing every mortal to panic as they rushed to the closest exit. "That doesn't sound good," Percy voiced the group's collective thought.

"You think?" Thalia deadpanned. Come on we need to hurry to Bianca and Nico before Dr. Thorn gets to them first," she stated scanning the panicking crowd for any sign of the two. "Come on… come on… where are you two?"

"Let's split up to cover more ground. Percy and I will take the east side, you and Grover take the west. We can also run interference for the monster in all this chaos. Since he is looking for two half-bloods, if we split up we may be able to confuse him for awhile."

"Smart thinking Annie, come on Grover let's go." She grabbed the satyr's arm before maneuvering her way through the sea of people. Annabeth and Percy went in the opposite direction on the lookout for either the Di Angelos or Dr. Thorn. Through all the chaos of the students jostling each other and teachers trying to get the situation under control, it was a wonder they didn't get separated sooner. Alas, after about five minutes of searching Annabeth and Percy found themselves separated from each other. Annabeth found herself in an empty corridor a little ways off from the gym. How she got there was anyone's guess, but to her it felt like she was drawn this way. Something was calling out to her subconscious - something familiar. More than that, whatever was pulling her this way connected on a deeper level to her. To her heart and soul. So wrapped up in her thoughts, Annabeth missed the tremors abruptly stopping, the sounds of combat nearby, and was caught off guard when a suit of armor was sent flying from around the corner. On reflex she brought out her celestial bronze knife in front of her, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Quickly taking a peek around the corner before ducking back, Annabeth assessed the situation. While out looking for the Di Angelo siblings, her friends, or Dr. Thorn, she stumbled upon Echidna and the Chimera (she remembered Percy's encounter with them a few years back) facing off against a blonde-haired girl wielding a pair of extraordinarily plain daggers. A second quick peek revealed more of the battle; The hallway was more or less completely totaled. Cracks, craters, acid burns and actual burn marks, and mangled pieces of armor littered the entire corridor. Echidna and Chimera sported heavy wounds and contusions, Chimera bleeding from all over due to a lost tail, goat head, and multiple slash wounds on its body. Echidna looked worse for wear with her true form severely beaten and broken on the ground, heavily breathing as if her internal organs were not functioning properly. The blonde on the other hand looked no worse for wear, she wasn't breathing heavily to indicate fatigue, her clothes were still in good condition, aside from a few rips and tears here and there. Her eyes seemed to be a blazing luminescent blue, the air around her faintly distorted to leave an impression of a butterfly. In all honesty, despite the weird connection Annabeth felt to the mysterious stranger, she was still on edge considering this person single-handedly brought both Echidna and the Chimera to the brink of defeat without sustaining any kind of critical damage. Percy barely got away with his life and it was from just the Chimera. For anyone to be able to achieve this, they had to be a force to be reckoned with. All clues pointed to this person being the one Grover cautioned them about: Aegis Arisato. Her current dilemma was on what to do right now. She could help Aegis finish off the monsters and introduce herself, but on the other hand Annabeth knew next to nothing about her save what Grover already detailed. Then there was the yearning in her heart at the sight of the blonde. The feeling would not go away and only got stronger the longer she was in her presence. It honestly reminded her of her mother. Her heart called for her to help the "mortal" even though she appeared to have the situation handled. Before Annabeth could reach a decision, Aegis collapsed to her knees in a kneeling position.

* * *

'_Orgia Mode really drained me, but now is not the time to hesitate. I need to get back to Bianca and Nico as fast as possible. Who knows what nefarious plans Dr. Thorn has in mind for them. These monsters were more resilient than I expected, then again these are Echidna and the Chimera of Greeco-Roman mythology.'_

A pained growl drew Aegis' attention. The Chimera and Echidna, as damaged as they were, were slowly but surely getting back up. A pity, Aegis really hoped they were out of it long enough for her to finish them off, but alas it seems hatred and anger are pretty powerful motivators. Indeed, murder and violence showed quite prominently in both their eyes.

"You… BITCH! You done it now! Before I was just entertaining the thought, but now… now I am gonna make you regret ever crossing us!" Echidna roared out. Chimera didn't speak so much as howl in agreement with his/her mother. Both made their way to their feet (or tail? in Echidna's case) and staggered over to the immobile android, all the while spouting profanities, curses, threats, and vengeance both in English and Chimera-ese.

'_So this is how it all ends. Me unable to move while a pair of half dead monsters inch their way over to tear me to shreds. I suppose there are worse ways to go.' _Aegis subtly got ready to activate her last resort plan. By overloading her various systems she could detonate her body to completely and utterly disintegrate her surrounding area and everyone in it. Depending on how long the charge was, the blast radius varied from small-scale to large-scale to everything in between. For these bozos, five meters was enough. Once they were well within the blast zone nothing would be able to save them, not in their condition. She smiled at the thought. '_Bianca… Nico... wherever you are, I hope you two are safe and I am sorry I am going to leave you all alone now. But I know the kind of people you two are and know that both of you will go far someday. The times we spent together were some of the most peaceful since my time with SEES. I regret that I was unable to open my heart to you, but if we had gotten to truly know one another or spent more time together than I am sure that we could have become close friends. But it seems that I just cannot bring myself to open up to anybody since SEES. The pain is still too fresh, the wounds still raw. I just do not want to feel that level of pain ever again. Maybe in another life that may have been possible, but for me, not for a while if ever. Nevertheless I have cherished our time together no matter how brief it may have been. Thank you, and goodbye…'_

"What's this? Hahaha… Well, well looky here sonny. The little whelp is crying. Must be frightened the poor thing" Malice and cruel delight laced every word spoken. A sinister rasp echoed the sentiment. "Don't you worry little girl, after today you won't have to feel anything. Ever. Again." The looming shadows were right on top of her now. Echidna raised her tail poised to strike. Aegis closed her eyes.

A knife slicing through flesh caused Aegis to open her eyes. Both Echidna and the Chimera were gone and golden dust settled on the ground in front of her. Blinking at the unexpected end, there was little she could do aside from deactivate the "taking you with me" option. There was nobody else in sight, but Aegis distinctly heard a knife being used. Coming to a decision she settled for simply saying thank you to the open air and bowing hoping her hunch was correct and her rescuer heard her gratitude. Once her motor functions and power reserves recovered from Orgia Mode, she swiftly left to reunite with the Di Angelo siblings and hope Dr. Thorn had not gotten to them first. All the while an invisible daughter of Athena wearing a Yankees Cap looked on at the departing battle android.


End file.
